Surprisingly, the coast of the province of Lugo (except for emblematic places such as As Catedrais beach) is not well known. There, coastal cliffs alternate with clear water beaches and islands which interesting and large colonies of seabirds call home. Overall, it is an excellent stretch for watching seabirds in winter.

The Galician Cantabrian

Although A Mariña de Lugo covers the entire coast of Lugo, given its length, this section only deals with the stretch west of the Ría de Foz.

This stretch of coastline is practically a high and roughly cut seaside cliff interrupted by white sandy beaches and crystal clear waters and the mouths of small streams. Ports and small towns complete the picture, although the large Viveiro estuary, with an interesting marsh, is an exception. It should also be mentioned that there are islands along the coast, such as Os Farallóns, Ansarón and A Illa Coelleira, which, along with certain smaller islands, such as Insua de Cal, host interesting populations of nesting seabirds. The Roncadoiro point and the Mansa point are noted for their spectacular nature and the presence of seabirds.



The routes

Route by car: Covas (Viveiro) - Burela

BEST TIME

From December to June

DISTANCE

48 Km

DURATION

5 hours

DIFFICULTY

None

COUNCILS

Burela, Cervo, Viveiro, Xove

PATH

Covas (Viveiro) - Roncadoiro point - Portiño de Morás - Lago - San Cibrao - Burela

Key points on the route:

  1. From the starting point in Covas (1), great northern loon and different species of gull can be seen on the beach.
  2. If the tide is low, in the Viveiro estuary (2) there may be groups of gulls and waders such as the eurasian curlew and black-tailed godwit.
  3. The port of Celeiro (3) is interesting in winter, as black-necked grebe can be seen in the vicinity.
  4. The Roncadoiro point (4) is an interesting stop to see scrubland birds such as the european stonechat or dunnock, although during migration northern wheatear and whinchat can be seen.
  5. The stretch of coast from Portiño de Morás (5) to Lago beach (6) is fascinating. Despite the large industrial environment, in winter many species of gulls, great cormorants, great northern loons and black-necked grebes can be seen. Remain attentive to the surroundings of the fish farm and the mouth of the Lago stream.
  6. In San Cibrao (7) pay attention to the cape of the same name, to the mouth of the Cobo river and to the Anxuela islet, where various gulls (including the rare iceland gull) and waders such as the purple sandpiper can be seen in winter.
  7. In Burela head to the port (8) to see gulls - frequent here are the glaucous gull and iceland gull.

Route on foot or by bike: from Vilachá to Mansa point

BEST TIME

Spring

DISTANCE

2,5 Km

DURATION

1 hour on foot and a half-hour by bicycle

DIFFICULTY

Low

COUNCILS

Xove

PATH

Vilachá - Punta da Mansa

Key points on the route:

  1. The route starts at the village of Vilachá (1), near which numerous species that are typical of cooler countrysides can be seen, such as the Eurasian bullfinch 
  2. Closer to the cape (2), in the scrub areas, dunnock, european stonechat and northern wheatear can be seen in passage.
  3. At the point (3), pay attention to the yellow-legged gulls that breed in small numbers in the area. The peregrine falcon and european shag also can be seen in the area.

Route on foot: Portocelo - Ansarón island

BEST TIME

From late August to June

DISTANCE

4 Km, solo ida

DURATION

1.5 hours (one way).

DIFFICULTY

Low

COUNCILS

Xove

PATH

Portocelo - Merixe point - Ansarón island

Key points on the route:

  1. From the secluded village of Portocelo (1), where attention should be paid to the groups of gulls, the route starts from the Merixe point (2), where Insua de Cal and its colony of yellow-legged gulls can be seen.
  2. Follow the coastline along a path from which both land and sea birds such as the dartford warbler, which is hidden in the gorse, can be seen.
  3. The route comes to Arxente point (3) in front of Ansarón island (4), where a long stop provides a chance to watch the manoeuvres of the numerous yellow-legged gulls that nest on the island. european shag and other birds may also be seen. In autumn it is a good place to watch migrating northern wheatear.
The birds

Among the birds found here is a particularly valuable species - the eurasian oystercatcher, which nests on some of the islands in the area, especially on Os Farallóns. More abundant are the yellow-legged gulls that number into the hundreds and more scarce european shag. In winter up to seven different species of gulls can be seen, as well as other seabirds in passage such as the northern gannet.

Tips and resources
  • Winter is the best time to see the most interesting species in the area, since different species of gulls choose the area to winter. For good watching it is important to revise all the groups well.  

  • The birds on the islands are not close so use of a telescope is recommended.

Arriba